IMMU2011/IMMU2911

Immunobiology
Welcome & Unit of Study Information Session
Dr Scott Stimpson
Education Innovation| Infection, Immunity &
Inflammation

The University of Sydney Page 1

 Key personnel
Dr Scott Stimpson- Unit coordinator (IMMU2011)

E: [Link]@[Link]
T: 9114 4601
CPC Hub - Level 5 (East)

Assoc. Prof Mainthan Palendira – Unit coordinator

(IMMU2911)

E: [Link]@[Link]
T: 86276115
CPC Hub - Level 5 (East)

The University of Sydney Page 2

 Why study Immunobiology?
– It’s really interesting
– Everyone has got some form of an immune system
– The Immune System is the reason we’re all here!
– hence, studying the immune system (i.e., immunology) is fairly important
– Knowing about the immune system will help you:
– understand more about diseases and medical conditions
• infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer, transplants, asthma, allergies
– think about ways to fight and/or prevent disease
• vaccines, immune suppressive therapies, cell & antibody-based therapies
– in your other current and future courses/degrees
• immunology, medicine, pharmacology, chemistry, biochemistry, pathology, biology...
The University of Sydney Page 3
 Textbook details
Abbas, Lichtman & Pillai Basic Immunology:
Functions and Disorders of the Immune System 6th
Ed. 2019

All of the lectures will use and refer to parts of

this textbook.
The SciTech Library holds a hard copy of the
5thEd (616.079 411 E)
Electronic full text access available from
ClinicalKeyAustralia Flex

The University of Sydney Page 4

 Teaching activities- IMMU2011
– Lectures live via Zoom
– Tuesdays 9 am-10 am
– Thursdays 9 am-10 am

– On Campus Tutorials - attendance compulsory

– Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays
– Weeks 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12
– Time 1-3pm for On Campus
– Venue - various seminar rooms across campus, check your timetable.

– Remote Learning Tutorials - attendance compulsory

– Time 10-12pm online via zoom on Thursdays
– Please re-check your timetable as it is likely to have changed
The University of Sydney Page 5
 Teaching activities- IMMU2911
– Lectures live via Zoom
– Tuesdays 9 am-10 am
– Thursdays 9 am-10 am

– On Campus Tutorials - attendance compulsory

– Tuesdays
– Weeks 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12
– Time 2-4pm
– Venue - F10A.020 Law Building Annex Seminar Room 020

– On Campus Practical's- attendance compulsory

– Tuesdays
– Weeks 2 (CPC Dry Lab) , 4, 6, 8 and 11
– Time 2-5pm in the CPC X-Lab
The University of Sydney Page 6
Face-to-Face teaching activities for On Campus students
– Practical's
– 1st Practical is in CPC Microscopy Rooms
– Week 2- Various times
“…also had a lot of fun being in the
XLab, and CPC in general.”
– All remaining practicals
CPC X-Lab
– Weeks 4, 6, 8 and 11 “CPC was a very impressive
building, was nice to work in XLab.”

Week 13 – theory of practical exam

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 IMMU2011

Monday Practicals are full!

But there is plenty of space in the Wednesday and Thursday (except

week 2 practical).

If you have no clashes, please consider changing class days now.

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 Remote Online teaching activities
– Practical's
– 1st Practical
Live Zoom
– Thursday Week 2 from 10am-1pm “…also had a lot of fun being in the
XLab, and CPC in general.”

“CPC was a very impressive

building, was nice to work in XLab.”

Week 13 – theory of practical exam

The University of Sydney Page 9

Finding your way
Lectures
Live via Zoom

Practical's
Charles Perkins Centre hub
Practicals
Workshops
Various Locations across campus,
Double check your timetable!

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 Resources available to you
– Textbook
– Online
– Lecture notes available to everyone
• usually 24-48h before the lecture
– Audio and visual Lecture recordings available to everyone
• usually within 24h of the lecture
– Web links, discussions, email
– Face-to-face
– Lecturers, demonstrators, librarians, unit coordinator

The University of Sydney Page 11

 The lecture series
– Designed to compliment your other activities

– Workshops, practical's, online activities

– An introduction to the cells & molecules of the immune system

– what they are
– what they do
– how they do it
– why they are so important
– some of these lectures will be delivered by cutting edge immunologists

The University of Sydney Page 12

Assessment Tasks

The University of Sydney Page 13

What does an
Immunologist do?

Reads and Writes

• scientific papers / journal articles
• grant and ethics proposals
• theses (honours and PhD)
• abstracts (for papers and conferences)
• posters

The University of Sydney Page 14

What does an
Immunologist do?

Conducts research
• online database searches for the research
done by others in their field
• formulates hypotheses
• designs experiments to test hypotheses
• performs the experiments to prove or
disprove hypotheses

The University of Sydney Page 15

The curriculum and
assessment tasks
have been designed to expose you to some
of these things that immunologists do

The University of Sydney Page 16

 Assessment tasks
– Continuing Assessment (60% of overall assessment)
– Understanding an Immunology Research Article
(20% of final mark)
– Group Oral presentation
(15% of final mark)
– Practical Assessment Tasks
(25% of final mark)

– Final Exam (40% of overall assessment)

– One 2hr exam composed of 2 sections of equal value designed to ensure
a minimum level of basic immunology understanding has been attained
The University of Sydney Page 17
 IMMU2911 Assessment Timeline

The University of Sydney Page 18

 Practical Assessment One

– This is a Group presentation. You will need to work in groups of

4-5 of your peers. Your task is to give a ~1-minute presentation
about the cells you identify in your blood smear from Practical 1
(Introduction to microscopy & immunohistology). This assessment
task is to be uploaded to the IMMU2011 canvas site by 10 am
20th April 2023.

– One group member is to present one immune cell, do not present

the same immune cell.

The University of Sydney Page 19

 Practical Assessment Two (Theory of Practical Exam)
– You will have 1 hour to answer 35 multiple choice questions and
5 short answer questions related to all of the practical content.
This quiz compromises 15% of your continuing assessment mark
in Immunobiology.

– The Theory of Practical Exam will be held online at 10:00 am to

12:00 pm on Tuesday May 23rd 2023.

– Location: Online via the IMMU2011and IMMU2911 Canvas

site.
The University of Sydney Page 20
 Pre-practical quizzes
– Online assessment task related to either the practical you are
about to perform, or the practical you completed the week
before.

– The quiz will “open” at 10.00am the day before the practical
class and “close” at 10.00 am on the day of the practical
class.

– Once a student commences “the quiz” they will have 10 min

only to complete it.
The University of Sydney Page 21
 Title and Abstract Assessment Task
– Submit your title and abstract written assignment via Turnitin
link available through the IMMU2011 canvas site
– You should receive confirmation from the turnitin site that looks like this:

– Answer the questions associated with this article on the canvas site
(Comprehension Quiz)
– Both tasks are due 10am, Tuesday, 4th April, 2023 (week 7)
The University of Sydney Page 22
 Departmental Policy on Attendance
– What do I do if I can’t make or miss my tutorial or practical
class?
– In the first instance you should contact Scott by email
• In most cases we can work something out for you without needing to apply
for special consideration.
– In other cases, you may need to apply for Special Consideration

The University of Sydney Page 23

 Academic integrity
– Academic integrity refers to behaving honestly, ethically and responsibly in relation
to all elements of your study at the university, including assessments.
– Always submit your own work, sit your own tests, and take your own examinations.
– Acknowledge any contributions in your assignment which are not your original
thoughts, ideas or words.
– Writing technologies (e.g. ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc) cannot be used to create or
modify work for submission, unless expressly permitted by your unit coordinator.
– Academic Honesty Education Module – all commencing students must complete by
census date. Continuing students can self-enrol at any time.

The University of Sydney Page 24

 Special Consideration and Special Arrangements
Do you know what to do if you have suffered an acute illness or
misadventure and are unable to attend classes?

What if you must miss classes due to prior sporting, university-

related commitments, or essential travel?

Do you know how to apply for special consideration and special

arrangements?

The University of Sydney Page 25

 Special Consideration and Special Arrangements
– While studying at the University of Sydney, you may need to apply for
special consideration or special arrangements
– Special consideration may be granted to students where well-attested
illness, injury or misadventure occurs to them (or someone they have
carer’s responsibility for) during semester or the exam period.
– Special arrangements may be granted for essential community
commitments.
– Eligibility, Requirements and How to Apply:
– Applications must be made using the University’s formal application process available at
[Link]

The University of Sydney Page 26

 Do you have a disability that impacts on
your studies?
You may not think of yourself as having a ‘disability’
but the definition under the Disability Discrimination
Act (1992) is broad and includes temporary or chronic
medical conditions, physical or sensory disabilities,
psychological conditions and learning disabilities.

The types of disabilities we see include:

Anxiety // Arthritis // Asthma // Autism // ADHD
Bipolar disorder // Broken bones // Cancer
Cerebral palsy // Chronic fatigue syndrome
Crohn’s disease // Cystic fibrosis // Depression
Diabetes // Dyslexia // Epilepsy // Hearing impairment
// Learning disability // Mobility impairment // Multiple
sclerosis // Post-traumatic stress // Schizophrenia //
Vision impairment
and much more.

In order to get assistance, students need to register

with Inclusion and Disability Services. It is advisable to
do this as early as possible. Please contact us or
review our website to find out more.

Inclusion and Disability

Services Office
The University of Sydney [Link]/disability Page 27
02-8627-8422
 Additional Resources
– Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) workshops
– [Link]

– Learning Centre
– [Link]

– Library
– [Link]

– Your coordinator, teachers, tutors and demonstrators

The University of Sydney Page 28

 Responding to student feedback
– You are strongly encouraged to provide formal and informal
(unsolicited) feedback
– A Unit of Study Survey (USS) will be run at the end of semester
– Please take the time to complete this - it impacts greatly on the course

– Contact your teachers:

– By email, or
– During or after class
– Making an appointment to see them

The University of Sydney Page 29

 Frequently asked questions & issues
1. Can I change my timetabled tutorial or practical class?
We have allowed in the past, but this year each class has maxed out!
2. I tried to change my workshop class but the system won’t let me.
Classrooms might have reached capacity.
3. I have work and won’t be able to attend my tutorial or prac as
timetabled - what do I do?
Change your work roster - there is nothing the coordinator can do
4. What is the policy on attendance?
Check the unit of study outline- Most things are compulsory.

The University of Sydney Page 30

 Frequently asked questions & issues
5. Where can I get more information?
The IMMU2011 canvas eLearning site
6. I have a lecture clash! what do I do?
Timetable clashes are students' responsibility you need to decide if the
recordings will be sufficient.
Note: Not withstanding technical issues (which may mean some lectures are not
recorded) all lectures (audio & visual) are recorded and made available to all
within 24-48h

The University of Sydney Page 31

 I have other questions - can I email you?
– Yes, of course. I will try my best to get back to you the same day.

[Link]@[Link]

Please use the Discussion board on the canvas site as well to ask questions/comment
with myself and your colleagues.

The University of Sydney Page 32

 I want more immunology!
– Senior Units of Immunology offered by our department
– Cellular and Molecular Immunology (Dr Kylie Shaddock & Prof Carl Feng)
– Immunology in Human Disease (Prof Allison Abendroth)

– A Major in Immunology and Pathology

– Requires successful completion of 48 credit points of Senior study in Immunology and
pathology units plus credit points from the elective Senior units of study in:
• Biochemistry, Biology, Cell Pathology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Microbiology,
Physiology or Virology listed in Table I of the Science Faculty handbook

The University of Sydney Page 33

 What’s coming up?
1. This coming Thursday at 9 am:
– Your next lecture

2. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Week 2:

– Practical's begin!

– Re-check your timetable for locations and times as they often change in the first
few days of semester

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 What is an immune system?

The University of Sydney Page 35

 Defense mechanisms

Sense danger

Alert system

Destroy threat

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 Different threats – Different Responses

Image courtesy of [Link]

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 The evolution of the immune system

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 What is an immune system?

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 Special forces of the immune system

What do they do? How do they do it?

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 Why is it important?

Infectious Allergies
Diseases
Vaccination

Autoimmune
Cancers
Immunotherapy
diseases

The University of Sydney

Inflammation Page 41
 Inflammation

Atherosclerotic Lesion in a Human Artery.

Hansson GK. N Engl J Med 2005;352:1685-1695.

Chronic Inflammation is a Silent
The University of Sydney Page 42
Killer of Men
 Why do we need vaccines?

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Apr 18; 114(16): 4031–4033.

Nabel, 2013. New england journal of medicine, 368:6, 551-60

The University of Sydney Page 43

 Some new terminology
– Immunology is full of new words and can be a little difficult at times, but don’t panic
we will go over these during the semester!

– Some key words to know for the coming weeks:

Innate immunity: This is the non-specific, unchanging lines of defenses which include physical and chemical barriers to
pathogens.

Adaptive immunity: Adaptive (or acquired) immunity is where immunological memory is made after an initial response to a
new pathogen, leading to an enhanced response to future exposure to that same pathogen.

Cytokines: A group of secreted, low-molecular weight molecules that regulate immune responses. The actions of cytokines are
mediated through specific cytokine receptors on the surfaces of target cellses.

Chemokines: A group of secreted, low-molecular weight molecules that mediate chemotaxis for leukocytes and regulate
expression of adhesion molecules.

The University of Sydney Page 44